Reinvention Maven | Storyteller | Helping you see opportunities beyond boxes 📦 | Veteran | Consultant | Speaker | Diversity | Writing stories to create reader experience and sow seeds

When we feel unseen, unheard... unsafe to be our authentic selves, the ripple effects are undeniable:
📍 We withdraw from fully engaging with others… hold back contributions in friendships and business.
📍 Our motivation and drive to excel fades.
📍 We hide our authentic selves behind a mask – a box, fearful what others might say/do if they learn we’re neurodiverse, overcame addiction, and so much more

When we can show up authentically, we unlock our potential and create a sense of Belonging that transforms everything.

According to a survey by the Institute for Inclusive Leadership:
🍀 71% of employees felt more confident when they could be authentic.
🍀 60% felt more engaged.
🍀 46% reported feeling happier.

What does this mean for organizations?
Employees who don’t feel safe to be their authentic selves risk becoming disengaged… no longer thriving contributors.

That's where I step in.

I’m Susannah, an empathic warrior ⚔ woman 👩 who broke free from proverbial boxes in which society tried to place me – it's my mission to help others do the same. My passion lies in guiding individuals and organizations to “Move Beyond Boxes and Shine” like the stars we are… embrace their authentic selves and find their space of Belonging.

I've walked that path, and now help others see they are more than the roles or limitations placed on them.


When we move beyond boxes, we:
🫶 Build unshakable self-confidence
🫶 Foster authentic teamwork
🫶 Elevate organizational performance and revenue


I offer services that inspire transformation, empower individuals, and create lasting change:

🎤 Keynote Speaker
Deliver powerful talks for conferences and organizational events on connecting with your authentic self, reinvention, and how Belonging drives productivity and innovation.

📈 Business Consulting
Help organizations improve productivity and their bottom line through Belonging… identify opportunities to create cultures where everyone thrives. 

🖋 Workshops & Seminars
Lead transformative seminars that encourage participants to step outside the box and embrace their authentic selves, including vision boards.


Whether you’re an organization looking to foster a culture of Belonging, a leader seeking inspiration, or you’re ready to break free from the boxes holding you back, I’m here to help you create a path to shine.


DM me, or email Susannah.Dawn.Writer@gmail.com to set up a consultation.

It's time to gain traction in life, spread your wings 🦋, and fly 🦅.


"I'm not what I used to be, yet I am who I've always been."
Susannah Dawn 🦋 🦅 🦋

Reinvention Maven 👩

Susannah Dawn

Illumine Ventures, LLC

Founder

Whole Foods Market

- Defined the leadership development strategy and roadmap for the organization.
- Enabled Whole Foods Market leader’s growth, happiness and performance through the successful design, implementation, facilitation and sustainability of unified leadership development programs.
- Responsible for all facets of leadership development for Store, Regional, and Global Support leaders.

Global Director of Leadership Development

• Defined the regional learning & development strategy and led cross-functional efforts to build impactful leadership development programs to enable the growth of leaders of all levels.
• Collaborated with global leaders to champion the “Success Profile” tool that will be foundational to all aspects of talent management at Whole Foods Market. Outputs: EC & RVP Success Profiles.
• Led the Unified Leadership Development working group through multiple strategic iterations. Outputs: virtual TL development workshops and defined competencies for four levels of leaders.
• Partnered with senior regional leaders to define regional strategic priorities as they related to talent management. Outputs: high-potential development strategy & programs, “Leading through Change” strategy, “Speed-to-Floor” & “Always-On-Hiring” mechanisms.
• Led cross-regional effort to build the TL Cross-Training program that was adopted company-wide.

Regional Director of Learning & Development

•	Responsible for developing and implementing the vision and strategy for the following programs: Team Educator, In-Store Educator, NM Onboarding Path, Certified Purchaser.
•	Created a comprehensive training and communication strategy to support the transition of the Team Educator program from a role to an official position with its own wage guideline.
•	Led the region’s Envisioning initiative; developing and facilitating an Envisioning Day for each Regional Support team and overseeing the execution of the Metro Envisioning Days.

Regional Learning & Development Associate Director

•	Demonstrated ability to increase store support for training through effective communication of training benefits, relationship building, and proven leadership development results.
•	Developed Restaurant Venue Orientation in collaboration with store and regional leadership. 
•	Created Metro Educator Guidebook to support new Metro Educator onboarding.
•	Served as a mentor to fellow Metro Educators and ISEs to maximize their effectiveness.

Metro Educator

•	Contributed to a successful new store opening through effective training, leadership, and communication with department team members.  Our department nearly tripled our opening sales projections.
•	Improved team performance through strategic merchandising, diligent inventory management, and by motivating our team to stay focused under the rigorous demands of a new store opening.
•	Focused on training team members to deliver an excellent customer service experience through role playing, recognition, and leading by example.
•	Developed a firm understanding of department operations and financials.

Specialty Associate Team Leader

•	Successfully completed leadership development program designed to prepare Team Members for team leadership.
•	Challenged to execute new product strategies to support regional objectives and increase department sales.

Leadership Development Candidate

Compass, Inc.

•	Responsible for leading all field training efforts; including creating the learning roadmap, content, and systems to support the field in achieving sales objectives.   
•	Increased monthly recurring revenue by 126% in one year by revisiting and adjusting the business system training; then followed through by increasing field awareness of both online and weekly training courses.

Director of Field Development

Ok, let's be real. What comes up for you when you hear the words "spiritual awakening?" 

If you're like I was, the idea of spiritual awakening probably seems like a fringe concept. Something for saints or monks, but not for you. 

It's probably not even on your radar, or if it is, it probably feels completely out of reach. 

I get it. That was me. But, what if I told you that awakening is not the "woo-woo" stuff you think it is?

When you take away all the mental labels, awakening is just about understanding that there is another way to live. A way of living connected to your Creator. You can call it God, Source, Consciousness, Universe, or whatever language feels right. It's not about what you call it; it’s about learning to call on it. Making the effort to get still and learn the truth.
 
Why would you want to do this? Well, it's pretty simple. It is the only way to find lasting peace, joy, and fulfillment in your life. 

How do I know? Because I had to learn this the hard way. By the age of 45, I had achieved all my dreams and reached the pinnacle of my success. I had the dream job, the dream partner, and the dream house.  Then, the bottom began to fall out. 

I was experiencing a sort of quiet misery on a regular basis that began to seep into every area of my life. I couldn't escape the feeling that something was still missing. I looked at my life and wondered "Is this all there is?" 

Let me tell you, it's a rude awakening when you have achieved everything you set out to achieve and you still feel unfulfilled.

Instead of accepting that this was just how life my life was going to be, I decided to discover the source of my discontent.

You see, the problem wasn't my life. The problem was how I was approaching my life. 
•	I was approaching my life from the outside in, rather than the inside it.
•	I saw my life as a grind, rather than a gift.
•	I thought my answers were out there, rather than within.

Everything changed when I learned to do the REAL work of my life. I learned to listen to my inner voice, and it guided me to the truth of who I am, and why I'm here. This was my "awakening," and it's how I was able to finally release the quiet misery and experience the joy, peace and fulfillment I had always been seeking.

Awakening is for all of us: the rebels, the skeptics, the never-settlers, the non-conformists, and even the recovering perfectionists. 

I am here to share what I have learned so that we all may awaken to the truth. I am here to help you do the REAL work of your life.

Ready? Go to my website to get started: www.jencarew.com

taplio

The Battle

Susannah Dawn

Jen Carew

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